Public health nurses' perceptions of graduate education
Background: Numerous sources, including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), the U. S. Healthy People 2020 (2011), and the Quad Council of Public Health Nursing Organizations (2007) strongly support the need for a well-educated C/PHN workforce to meet the health challenges facing the nation, including implementation of the Affordable Healthcare Act. Additionally, AACN DNP Essentials require attention on population health. However, results of the RWJF’s 2012 “Public health nursing workforce survey” estimated that only 11% of survey respondents employed in local health departments held a master’s or doctoral degree in nursing. While a recent review of U.S. master’s degree programs in C/PHN pointed to a decrease in these program offerings, there has been exponential growth in Masters of Public Health (MPH) programs.
Methods: Digitally-recorded individual interviews are being conducted with C/PHNs (n=30) working in local and state health departments, private consulting businesses, and occupational health settings. The range of educational experiences being pursued include those who have obtained graduate degrees, those currently pursuing graduate degrees, and BSN graduates who have decided not to pursue a graduate degree. Multiple recruitment strategies are being employed including snowball, network, and theoretical sampling techniques. Grounded theory processes are guiding data analysis of transcribed interviews.
Results: Preliminary analysis of interview data indicates that for nurses who completed graduate programs, C/PHN often was not considered because nurses were unaware of C/PHN as a graduate option or C/PHN graduate programs were unavailable geographically; the MPH was seen as a more credible degree; or there were few if any opportunities for career advancement with a graduate nursing degree compared to a graduate business or administration degree. Barriers to graduate education in general include high tuition costs, limited tuition support from employer, and lack of monetary compensation once the degree was completed.
Implications: Findings will be useful in directing nursing education efforts to maintain and strengthen the academic preparation of nurses who are focused on community/public health. It is important that nursing support advanced education for nurses engaged in community, public and/or population health to ensure that nurses, including DNP graduates, learn important population health content, are exposed to various population health roles and opportunities, and meet the health needs of priority populations.